Native Mac apps, written like Apple writes them. Swift, SwiftUI, and AppKit. Apple Silicon optimized, sandboxed, notarized, ready for the Mac App Store or Developer ID.
macOS app development
that respects the Mac.
A macOS development agency for companies tired of Electron bloat. We build native Mac apps in Swift, SwiftUI, and AppKit, with real menu bars, real keyboard shortcuts, real Apple Silicon performance, and real platform integration. From standalone Mac apps to Mac targets that share a codebase with iPhone and iPad.
The Mac apps Mac users actually want.
The Mac is having a moment. Apple Silicon, the new Apple Intelligence stack, and a generation of users who want Mac apps that feel like Mac apps again. We build for that market.
Pro & creative tools
Editors, design tools, dev tools, and content workflows. Real document model, real undo, real menu bar, real keyboard shortcuts. The kind of app that earns a permanent spot in the dock.
Menu bar & utilities
NSStatusItem apps, system extensions, login items, helpers, and global hotkeys. Quietly resident, instantly accessible, native macOS through and through.
Electron migrations
Move Electron, Tauri, or Catalyst apps to native Swift, incrementally. One window at a time, no roadmap freeze. Recover 80 to 95 percent on RAM and binary size.
iPad to Mac (Catalyst)
Mac Catalyst is the fastest path if you have a polished iPad app today. We re-skin for Mac correctly, no "iPad app on a Mac" feel. Window menus, sidebars, keyboard shortcuts, and toolbar buttons that look like AppKit.
SwiftUI multiplatform
One Swift codebase shipping native binaries to iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Most of the UI is shared, each platform still feels native, and you maintain one codebase, not three.
Apple Intelligence & ML
On-device ML with Core ML, Apple Intelligence integration, Foundation Models on supported Macs. Local-first AI features that don't need to ship a backend.
Why we don't ship Electron.
Electron solved a real problem in 2014. In 2026 the Mac platform has outgrown it. Modern SwiftUI is faster to write than Electron + React for most Mac UI, and the gap on the user's side is severe.
Electron app, typical
- 200 to 500 MB binary
- 300 to 800 MB RAM at idle
- 2 to 6 second cold launch
- No real menu bar, no Spotlight, no Quick Look
- No Continuity, no Universal Clipboard, no Handoff
- Each Electron upgrade is a project
- Lags every WWDC by months
Native Swift app, typical
- 5 to 30 MB binary
- 30 to 100 MB RAM at idle
- Sub-second cold launch
- Real menu bar, Spotlight, Quick Look, Shortcuts
- Continuity, Universal Clipboard, Handoff, AirDrop
- Auto-updates with Sparkle (or App Store)
- Day-one support for new macOS features
SwiftUI, AppKit, or Mac Catalyst.
The right answer depends on the app. We pick during the scoping sprint, before you commit. Often we mix all three.
SwiftUI multiplatform
One codebase, native iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Right for most new builds. Modern, fast to write, easy to maintain. AppKit interop where SwiftUI hits a ceiling.
Mac Catalyst
You have a polished iPad app and want a Mac version this quarter. We re-skin for Mac (window menus, AppKit toolbar, sidebar) and ship native, no "iPad on Mac" feel.
AppKit (with SwiftUI)
Editors, design apps, dev tools, anything that needs deep control over panels, splits, drag-and-drop, and document model. Pure AppKit, with SwiftUI inside individual views where it helps.
Building for iPhone and iPad too? See our iOS development page for the full multi-platform story.
Mac App Store and Developer ID, both.
We ship through whichever channel fits the product. Often both, with a sandboxed Mac App Store version and a Developer ID version with extra entitlements.
Mac App Store
Discoverability, easy in-app purchase via StoreKit 2, automatic updates, family sharing. Sandboxed, with the full entitlement story handled. Apple takes 15 to 30 percent.
Developer ID (DMG / installer)
Direct download from your site. Full system access, custom entitlements, your own auto-update server (Sparkle). No App Store fee. Notarization, hardened runtime, and Gatekeeper compliance handled.
Four phases. Every two weeks, a real build.
Visible progress. Real binaries on your Mac, every sprint.
Scoping sprint
One to two weeks (paid). Workshops, technical audit, architecture decision (SwiftUI / Catalyst / AppKit), and a fixed-scope quote.
Prototype natively
Working SwiftUI / AppKit prototype on your Mac on day one. Real windows, real menus, real keyboard shortcuts.
Two-week sprints
Notarized, signed build at the end of every sprint. Weekly demos. Internal beta on TestFlight (Catalyst / multiplatform) or Sparkle channel.
App Store + Developer ID
Mac App Store submission, Developer ID build with Sparkle, screenshots, and rollout. New macOS adoption every fall is part of the deal.
Three ways to work with us.
All priced as fixed scope, not billable hours.
We build the whole Mac app
Discovery, architecture, engineering, App Store + Developer ID launch, post-launch support. You stay focused on product, we handle the build.
From $50K (single-purpose Mac app) to $400K+ (multi-platform suite)
Move Electron to native Swift
Incremental migration. One window at a time, no roadmap freeze. Typical 4 to 8 month engagement that recovers 80 to 95 percent on RAM and binary.
Two-week audit at $12K, then fixed-scope plan
Embed Mac engineers
Drop senior Mac engineers into your team for sprint-based collaboration, AppKit work, code review, and feature builds.
From $18K/month per senior engineer
Frequently asked.
Swift / SwiftUI or Electron?
Native Swift, almost always. Electron is fast to start but expensive to live with: 200MB binaries, 500MB of RAM at idle, slow launch, no real Mac feel, zero access to Apple frameworks. Native Swift apps are 10x to 50x smaller, launch instantly, integrate with the platform, and modern SwiftUI is faster to write than Electron + React for most Mac UI. We migrate Electron apps to native as a regular engagement.
Mac Catalyst, SwiftUI multiplatform, or AppKit?
Depends on the app. SwiftUI multiplatform is the default for new builds. Mac Catalyst is the fastest path from a polished iPad app. AppKit is right for editors and pro tools that need deep window/document control. We mix all three when it serves the product, and we decide in the scoping sprint.
Apple Silicon support?
Yes. Universal Binary (ARM64 + Intel), optimized for ARM64 first. Where it matters (image, ML, audio, video) we use Metal, Accelerate, and Core ML to take real advantage of the M-series.
Mac App Store or Developer ID?
Both, often. Sandboxed Mac App Store version for discoverability and easy IAP, Developer ID version (with Sparkle auto-update) for power-user features and no fee. We help you choose, and we ship both.
What does it cost?
Fixed scope, never billable hours. Single-purpose Mac app: $50K to $120K. Pro tool / editor with deep AppKit: $120K to $350K. SwiftUI multiplatform suite (iPhone, iPad, Mac): $150K to $400K. Real quote after a paid one to two week scoping sprint.
Notarization, sandboxing, Sparkle?
All handled. Notarization, hardened runtime, and entitlements live in the CI pipeline. Developer ID apps get Sparkle (or a Sparkle-compatible custom server) for delta auto-updates. Mac App Store apps update through the store.
Ready for a Mac app that respects the Mac?
Tell us what you're building. We'll respond with a real perspective, not a sales deck.
Start a conversation